To Be A Pony

by ph0enix

Chapter 4

Author's Note:

WARNING: This chapter contains a little bit of blood and violence but not to much. This is about the darkest this story will ever get. That's why it's rated Teen.

Also thank you to TheMyth for helping me work through some storyline issues and pre reading

Chapter 4

Written by Ph0enix

Proofread and Edited by MoltenXKid (Voted Sexiest Fimfiction Author/Editor by nonbiased judges.)

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A squad of eight changelings walked through the Everfree Forest in search of their prey. Two of the changelings pulled an unusual carriage. This carriage was used for escorting and holding prisoners. It had four iron wheels capable of supporting the large cage, and the cage itself was made of magic proof metal making it effective against all species.

The squad was armed with blow darts and regular crossbows, which they received by trading with the Griffons. The plan was to use the blowguns to render the foals unconscious long enough until they could transfer them back to the hive. The crossbows were only for protection against any of the Forest’s many predators.

As the Changelings went on, all were dead silent hoping to avoid the detection of anypony nearby. The only sound that could be heard was the high-pitched squeaking of the worn, un-lubricated wheels on the carriage. After several minutes of travel, a dim glow from a campfire could be seen in the distance. After pulling out a pair of binoculars, the General inspected the surrounding area to insure that the targets were asleep.

After giving a nod to the rest of the soldiers, the troops slowly moved forward. While moving forward, the two, carriage pulling changelings failed to spot a thick branch on the ground. The large iron wheels soon ran over it sending out a large CRACK!! All the changelings stopped immediately in their tracks flinching as the loud sound resonated through the woods. After a quick moment of checking their clandestinity, all the Changelings not pulling the cart stared daggers at the ones responsible. The cart pulling changelings could only as the pulled the cart and continuously run over branches.

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CRACK!!!

Sweetie Belle, startled by the noise, jolted awake. She looked around to notice that she was the only one to be awakened by the noise. Her friends were all still sound asleep. She decided to brush it off and attempt to get back to sleep. She laid her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes.

CRACK!!!

She quickly opened her eyes. This time she was sure she heard something. She turned to Scootaloo who was the closes to her. Sweetie wanted- no -needed someone to be awake to prove her suspicions.

"Scootaloo, wake up!" She whispered.

Scootaloo slowly opened her and gave an annoyed yawn. "What time is it?" She asked in a tired tone.

"It's not important; get up!" Sweetie responded still in a hushed tone.

Scootaloo sat up, rubbed her eyes with her hooves, and let out one final yawn. She then looked outside at the pitch black night. "Why am I up Sweetie Be-" she deadpanned.

She was cut off by Sweetie Belle who was beginning to panic a bit. "Scootaloo, I think there's something out there!"

Scootaloo sighed, "Sweetie Belle…you can't let your imagination get the best of..." She was interrupted again by a crack coming from outside, "Ok, maybe we would wake the others up."

The two of them hastily woke up Spike and Apple Bloom, who were just as unhappy about getting up as Scootaloo was, but once they were told of the situation they, too, were jittery.

"Someone should probably go check it out." Suggested Spike.

"Yeah, someone should." agreed Apple Bloom.

"But who's that someone?" asked Sweetie. The tone in her voice told everyone it wasn’t going to be her.

Scootaloo thought for a moment before deciding. "I think Spike should do it."

"What? Why me?!" Spike yelled in a hushed whisper.

"…Because you suggested it."

"But I can't go out there by myself. I mean what if there's a timber wolf?” He shuttered from the memories, “How about we all go?"

After the fillies all looked at each other, they sighed in defeat. "Fine…"

The four of them got up and made their way outside with great caution. Once they were outside, they scanned the tree line for any sign of someone or something else. Spike noticed something moving in a bush, yet before he could say anything he felt a small sting in his neck. He brought his hoof up to his neck and felt a small object protruding from his neck. He pulled it out and brought it in front of his face. He could barely make out the outline of what appeared to be a dart.

Spike began to get lightheaded; he looked to the side to see that his companions had fallen to the ground from being hit by a similar dart. Finally, after fighting the dizziness, it proved too much for him. The ex-dragon collapsed to the ground with a thud. As his eyes slowly begun to close, he could see figures moving towards him. Then, his world went black.

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Spike’s eyes slowly opened as the rising sun stirred him from his induced slumber. He struggled to lift his head, yet it collapsed back down onto a wooden floor. From what her could, he was in some sort of cage. He looked to his other side to see that the Crusaders were still unconscious.

The cart that they were in was at a stop. He looked outside to see tents forming a circle around a large campfire. Two changeling soldiers, wielding crossbows and holstered blowguns, stood guard in front of their cart. Spike tried to come to terms with the situation, but decided that there just simply wasn't enough time. He needed to get out; he needed to get out now.

He saw the blowgun on one of the soldiers and thought about taking it. After which he would try to shoot the guard. Once he did that, he could grab the keys from around the guard’s neck and free himself and the Crusaders.

Now it was time to act; Spike wasn't very good with his magic abilities quite yet, so he would use his hoof. He reached out his hoof and slowly reached for the blowgun. His hoof neared the gun; he checked to make sure the guards didn’t notice him. Finally, he had brought it back to the cage and made sure it was loaded. After further analysis, he found that there were two shots left in it.

That was one per guard; his aiming would have to be precise if he wanted this to work, for he knew changeling had a soft piece of shell around their necks. That was the only area the darts were effective. He slowly brought the back end of the tube and pressed it against his lips. After aiming at the guard, who still had his gun, Spike blew hoping for the best.

Fortunately, it was a direct hit and hit the guard in the soft spot. Unfortunately, this did not go unnoticed by the other guard. He turned around shocked to see Spike standing there with a blow gun. He reached down to grab his own gun and was even more shocked that it wasn't there. Spike raised the loaded gun a second time in an attempt to take out the other guard; however, the guard had already had his crossbow aimed.

Once Spike’s head was in his sights, he fired. Luckily for Spike, the guard missed his intended target, yet hit him directly in the side causing him to yelp in pain .The guard’s jaw was agape as he realized that he had just shot somebody. He then went over to the camp site where he then disappeared into a tent. After several minutes of agonizing pain, Spike had finally passed out and drifted back into the world of unconsciousness.

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Apple Bloom’s headache slowly went away as she began to understand where she was. She was laying in a cold, dirty, and nearly pitch dark cell. The only source of light was a torch on the outside of the bars which illuminated the hallway that her cell was on. She could make out another cell across the hallway, but the light source was too dim to see if anyone occupied it. She heard a groan from the back of her cell. She looked back a little frightened by the fact that she wasn't the only one in the cell.

"H-hello?" she asked.

A moment passed before a response came, "Apple bloom, is that you?" Apple Bloom recognized the voice.

"Scootaloo?"

The figure moved towards the light revealing a very confused Scootaloo."Apple Bloom where are we?"

"Ah'm not sure. It looks like we're in a cell."

"Then where is Spike and Sweetie Belle?" She said looking around.

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Sweetie could hear voices that sounded familiar. She opened her eyes, finding herself in a cell. She looked to her right to find a figure lying on the floor. Her hooves were covered in what she believed to be water, yet seemed too thick. A trail of the liquid could barely be seen leading to the figure next to her. Her attention was brought back to the two voices she could hear in the cell across from her own. The voices seemed just as confused as she was.

"Hello?" She called out to the voices.

A few seconds passed before she got a response, "Sweetie Belle is that you over there?"

"Apple Bloom, Scootaloo!" She said relieved

"Where are we?" Sweetie Belle asked

"I don't know." Scootaloo responded

"Hey Sweetie Belle, is Spike over there with you?" Asked Apple Bloom

"I don't know...it's a little dark."

They were interrupted by hoof steps coming from down the hallway. A guard went to light another torch that was on the hallway. Once it was lit, the guard left down the hallway from which he came. Now that there was another light source, both cells were decently illuminated. Sweetie Belle looked back to her friends who each had looks of horror on their faces.

"What?" She asked very confused by her friends change in emotion. She then turned to see what her friends were looking at. She saw Spike lying in a small pool of his own blood. Sweetie looked down in horror as her eyes followed a trail leading from his pool to her. She screamed as she realized her own fur was stained with Spike’s blood.

Finally after a few moments of silence, Apple Bloom spoke up. "Is he okay?"

Sweetie Belle slowly walked over to Spike. She hesitantly put a hoof on his chest only to feel it rise and lower. She then inspected the deep arrow wound in his side, and noticed that the bleeding had slowed but was not cleaned up. If it didn’t get attention soon, it could become infected.

"He's still alive, but he's still unconscious." Sweetie concluded, “There’s a bleeding puncture wound on his side.”

Apple Bloom thought for a minute before speaking up. "Wait ah minute, why don't you take my bow and tie it around the wound?"

“Apple Bloom you don't have your bow." Scootaloo blankly said.

"What are ya talkin’ about? Of course ah have my b...." She felt around her mane up to get her bow, but it was, in fact, gone.

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"I would like to thank you yet again, my little ponies, for helping put a stop to Discord." Thanked Princess Celestia, “He has been once again been encased in stone.”

The Mane Six had put a stop to Discord…again and saved Equestria…again.

"It's our pleasure Princess Celestia. Hopefully the next time he gets free, he won’t take his freedom for granite." Twilight said trying to make a pun. Unfortunately, it was ignored, and met with disapproval. Princess Celestia was about to continue, but a pecking could be heard. They all turned to the glass only to see a messenger bird carrying something.

"What the heck." Twilight approached the window where she opened it letting the bird in. The bird drop a bow made of Apple-worm silk.

"That's muh sister’s bow!" Applejack exclaimed as she sprinted over to Twilight.

Twilight noticed something else too- a small piece of paper was attached to one end. She levitated the paper in front of her face and read it aloud:

Deliver the Elements of Harmony to the coordinates on the back of the sheet or else the next thing you get will be a body part.

All the ponies were clearly shocked by the news. "Girls, let’s get our stuff together and move out by noon." Twilight said determination in her voice.

"But Twilight, we don't even know anything about the ponies that took them."

"I don't know who or what these ponies are, but I do know one thing."

"And what's that?"

"They messed with the wrong ponies..."

Comments

[Zman537]

I can see it now, Twilight and everyone gets over to the changelings and what not, she sees Spike injured, and I'll let the rest be filled in by imagination and fire.

[ph0enix]

4678423 indeed

[khatre]

Anyone that hurts Spike WILL pay the price.

[TheMyth]

Deliver the Elements of Harmony to the coordinates on the back of the sheet or else the next thing you get will be a body part.

I would suggest you put that in Italics

[ph0enix]

4679385 okay.

[Christs Disciple]

Well...This is gonna be interesting when the Elements of Harmony arrive. Though, it is already interesting. But, it will get even more interesting. Can't wait to see what happens.

[ph0enix]

4685318 I would have wrote it correctly, but unfortunately it's a pain in the ass.

[NobleValor]

Having read up until the intermission, it seems to me that you could have dramatized it up a bit more than you have. (Also cheap ploy not having Zecora rhyme, but having had to write for her recently, I won't fault you too much for that)

[ph0enix]

5024663 thanks, trust me when I say I tried to write Zecora but it turned out rather poorly. I'm not good at the rhyming thing.

[RainbowFox]

Love it!! And I don't know how to change my pic...